


String of Secrets

by soaringblue



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Character Development, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, Drama, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kagami centric, Romance, Slight Humor, Slow Burn, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, lukagami learning from eachother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27794479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soaringblue/pseuds/soaringblue
Summary: Kagami had found herself intertwined with a boy who went against everything Kagami had thought and believed, while she simultaneously danced on a string of secrets.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	1. The Meeting

Kagami frowned down at the slice of vanilla cake and the chocolate cookie that rested untouched on her plastic plate.

Music blasted as flashing colors painted the garage. The rich smell of smoke still lingered in the air from the earlier party poppers. Apparently, as Adrien described, it was a birthday party. One without polished clothing, lowered voices, and a dullness that stretched through the night. It was instead decorated in cheap fabrics and poorly coordinated decors. Kagami wasn’t used to it. She wasn’t used to a lot of things Adrien raved about.

Adrien...the one who insisted on sneaking out to this birthday party was nowhere to be seen. He had claimed 18 minutes and 15 seconds ago he needed to use the restroom. This had left Kagami alone in an empty chair, up against the wall, and in the corner of the spaced garage. 

Kagami didn’t know many people at this party—she had come as Adrien's date. He had reassured her that she would love the change of scenery. Kagami now strongly doubted his words. This was far from enjoyable. This wasn’t like the dates where they’d sneak off during boring charity events and get ice cream or when they’d clash blades on the playing mat. Those things brought excitement. An adrenaline that would fuel her veins for days. A memory sketched vividly in her brain, one that would be refused to be forgotten in the years to come. Now, in the corner of the garage she sat, a yawn threatening to escape her mouth. 

Kagami could see Adrien's classmates laughing amongst each other and dancing on the dance floor. Somebody even seemed to be playing the guitar—matching the tunes of the speaker music. If Kagami’s mother had seen it she would’ve scoffed and demanded they’d leave the building immediately. This is no place for people like us, her mother would have insisted. 

Kagami had never understood why Adrien persisted in such useless things. 

Friends. 

It was like the sequence of a code Kagami had desperately tried to solve. However no matter how many times she tried to find patterns or any benefit to keep friends—she found the loss outweighing the benefit. Afterall the likelihood of his friends leaving him in the end was high. Their social status was lower than his own, so he gained no benefit in climbing the social hierarchy by mingling with lower class citizens. Even the people of high society held no value outside of business deals, so she was forced to keep her formalities in check. But Kagami was under no obligation to seek them out in an informal setting, least of all as friends. Adiren held the only expectation as her future partner which could be hardly considered as platonic friends. 

Adrien didn’t need them. Not when he had her. 

Even if she tried to understand his appeal towards them firsthand, Kagami didn’t fit into their normalcy. She didn’t know how to approach them without the assistance of Adrien, and even then she would ignore them and only chime in when Adrien did. Kagami didn’t see the importance of interacting with them. They did not interest her nor did they benefit her. But even so after knowing, Kagami felt her stomach coil at the thought of how lonely she was. At the corner of the garage, an uneaten birthday cake, a date that has left her alone for the past 19 minutes--sitting silently watching his friends laugh and dance. She was pitiful.

Standing from her seat, Kagami thought she had waited long enough. Adrien will pay for this during practice, Kagami thought. She tightened her fist, she would make sure not a single win will be his to have. She looked once more at her phone in hopes of a missed call she hadn't noticed or text from Adrien, but to her disappointment her front screen was blank of any notifications.

Her chair squeaked as she got up and dusted her skirt. The birthday cake was left behind on the plastic chair. 

She walked past Adrien's friends, her chin high and gaze set to the exit that lay across from them. She tried to pretend she didn’t feel their confused and questionable gazes, like they wanted to ask her where she was going but decided to let her be. However as her arm reached for the exit door, a breeze of a finger tapped her shoulder. 

Kagami paused, retracting her arm from the door handle.

She was about to leave, did they change their minds? Kagami would much rather leave without a word to any of them. She had stayed longer than she should have. Preparing herself mentally, Kagami turned her head. Her eyes narrowed.

She first noticed his height. He was significantly taller than Kagami—an embarrassing amount. Then her eye caught to the blue tips that styled the ends of his hair. She could clearly hear her mother’s tsks of disapproval playing in the back of her head. A black and white guitar strapped across his back. He wore a blue jean jacket and a white shirt with an animal displayed on it. A pair of black ripped jeans and converse sneakers. A gentle smile played on the guitar boy's lips.

Kagami's frown deepened. Looking at him closely, Kagami had recognized him a couple of times whenever Adrien brought him along to meet with his other friends and if she recalled correctly, he was Marinette's date at the skating rink. He was no one of importance to Kagami—another face in the crowd. 

“You’re leaving,” the boy noted. His eyes darted to the exit. Kagami blinked. “Yes.”

“Isn’t it a bit too early?” He asked. “The party is just starting after all.” 

Kagami arms laid flat to her sides—restraining herself from crossing her arms. “I have no reason to stay here any longer,” she said flatly.

The boy’s smile did not twitch. “I could give you a reason,” he said as he pointed to his group. “Come and hang out with us.” 

Kagami's mouth slightly parted— but no sound left her lips. She immediately closed her mouth back up. An opportunity has presented itself, Kagami thought sternly. A way to satisfaction and a way to console herself of her earlier self-pity. 

Kagami would study Adrien's friends to understand the appeal they have. She would intermingle with them and come to know what pull they have. What they have that Kagami has tried and failed to stir within Adrien. Even if he left her and embarrassed her, Adrien was the only one that understood her. It was only right for her to understand him correctly too.

Kagami nodded hesitantly.

None of them had attempted to greet her or approach her for the time she has been here. As far as Kagami knew from the long lectures from her mother about etiquette, this was considered a rude gesture. Guests should be greeted. 

The boy led her away from the exit. Kagami followed at his side, making sure her pace matched his. 

“Kagami, right?” The blue haired boy asked, the large guitar strapped to his back didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest as if it was as light as a feather. “Sorry, I’ve seen you around but never got to attach a name to your face.”

Kagami nodded her head. “I am Kagami Tsurugi.” 

“I’m Luka...Couffaine.” He paused. “My last name isn’t as cool as yours.” 

Kagami shifted her eyes to the edge of her vision. The blue tipped haired and guitar playing boy was named Luka. Interesting. 

They were quickly approaching the few chairs that littered a dozen feet away from the dance floor, which almost everybody was swarmed together in. Kagami wondered how she would introduce herself. But it was not her first time meeting Adrien's group of friends and classmates. 

They were smiling and laughing amongst themselves, like they’ve heard the funniest joke there is to tell. Even over the blaring music, Kagami could make out their laughs. Kagami had never laughed that freely, never allowed herself to flip on the floor and clutch her stomach as she struggled to catch her breath. Even more so, Kagami would never allow herself to make a fool of herself in public. 

At the left of her, a pair of widened brown eyes peered at Kagami. A frown itching her mouth, the girl's expression was one of shock. This incited the boy next to her to follow her gaze, confusedly pushing up his glasses with his finger. His eyebrows furrowed as he caught a better sight of Kagami. 

Nino and Ayla, was it? They were both close friends of Adrien—Nino more so. She didn’t have a strong opinion on Ayla, she didn’t talk to her much so Kagami didn’t bother either. Just a few more faces in a crowd. 

“Kagami? This is surprising.” Nino raised a questioning eyebrow at Kagami. Kagami didn’t think Nino held a high opinion of her. It was a firm speculation Kagami had made when Adrien first introduced her to Nino. Kagami offered a greeting but Nino looked less than happy to repeat the words back. Nino resembled her fencing opponents when Kagami introduced herself to them on the mat, like they would rather be anywhere else than sparring with her. Not that she would hold it against them, it was only natural for them to feel a negative inclination towards Kagami. All her opponents aside from one have lost. But, even though Nino had offered a quick nod in return, Kagami had not paid it much mind. What importance was Nino to her anyways? 

Music blared in the background, muffling his words slightly. Kagami decided to read his lips in case. It was only Nino and Ayla that sat together, watching their friends dance. As of now, the others were too invested in themselves to make notice of Kagami or simply didn’t care. A far difference from when their eyes were on her earlier as she was about to make her leave. 

Ayla shoved him slightly with her elbow. “What Nino means is we didn’t know you wanted to join us.” 

Ah, Kagami thought. So that’s why they had not approached her once since this event started. It was reasonable, Adrien had said once she has an unapproachable aura (not that it was a bad thing, he would quickly add after.) 

However, to make it clear she had not actively sought them out, Kagami pointed a thumb at the guitar boy beside her. 

“He dragged me here.”

Ayla's mouth twitched slightly as she moved her gaze to him. “That’s very nice of you Luka,” Alya muttered.

She shot a weak smile at Kagami. “Uh, do you want a drink?” Her voice was fidgety, like a bird caught in a trap.

“No.”

Ayla's mouth tightened. She turned her head back to the crowd and tugged her boyfriend by the arm to whisper something in his ear. Ayla was close to Adrien due to 2 different connections. Her boyfriend, Nino, was Adrien's close friend and Marriente, who was another friend of Adrien, was her closest friend. All this information was a kick run down Adrien gave her before her first meeting with his classmates. Should Kagami classify Marinette as simply as Adrien's friend? That was what he thought of her, at the very least. As she discovered earlier, Marinette was not exactly secretive about her feelings towards Adrien. But nonetheless, Kagami had not seen Marinette at this party which was odd in itself. Marinette was quite social despite her self induced awkward tendencies. 

Shifting her mind away from Marinette, Kagami scanned the dance floor attempting to find people she could recognize. She was not able to catch a clear image from her seat in the corner.

She saw a few familiar faces here and there. A short black haired boy, a bulkier man with a spark in his smile, a black haired girl with streaks of purple giggling brightly at a blonde with pixie cut. Faces upon faces with no names to attach to them. It was one of their birthdays, one by the name of Juleka.

Kagami looked down at her white sneakers. A tightness formed in her chest, a hole of black that seemed to expand the more time she spent at this party. Kagami didn’t understand why she felt like this. Why did it matter if she didn’t know the names of the soon to be forgotten faces? They are specks of dust in Kagami’s world. Why should they matter? But even when she grasped onto that thought, Kagami felt her stomach recoil. She didn’t want to talk to them from the start. She didn’t want to be here. Kagami wanted Adrien and he had left her. She was doing this for him, to understand him better. But she didn’t want to go home either, she knew what that meant. A raging mother at the front doorsteps demanding where she went was much better to confront later in the night, when exhaustion would set in and Kagami could unintentionally zone her mother's voice out.

Kagami looked up at Luka—she allowed herself to study him. She watched him as he tilted his head as he smiled back at Kagami’s cold stare. His posture was strangely confident. 

“Do you want to leave?” Luka asked—concern laced his tone.

Kagami quirked at his question. She shook her head.

in truth she wanted to leave more than anything, but she was Kagami and a small party shouldn’t stir her up like this.

“I will stay, enjoy myself... and learn.” she said hesitantly. 

“That’s good to hear,” Luka admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away shyly. "I should’ve approached you earlier." 

“Why? I’m hardly your acquaintance.” 

Luka’s eyes widened for a second as the words settled, then as the words seemed to settle in he chuckled lowly.

"You’re right, that’s why I’m trying to talk to you more so we can be friends," he said frankly.

“I don't understand. Why would you want to be friends?” Kagami asked. 

Luka waved his hands in front of him. “Woah,” he laughed. “Rephrase the question into why  _ wouldn’t  _ I want to be friends with you?” 

Kagami took a step back. He was avoiding her question. Deliberately trying to pin her back down, she knows this game. It was Tomoe Tsurugi's favorite mind game she liked to play on her daughter. She breathed. That only meant she knew how to play better. 

“Very well. I’ll bite,” Kagami said. “You pity me.” 

Luka’s forehead creased. “I don’t pity you Kagami." He shifted his feet. "I envy you.”

Kagami’s eyes narrowed. “Envy,” she repeated. 

“Yeah, envy. It’s dumb, I know. Well not that envying you is dumb, but the reason why I envy you is pretty stupid.”

“Curiosity is my captor and satisfaction is my releaser,” Kagami mused. “Please do tell.” 

Luka chuckled again. He did that a lot, Kagami thought.

“Sometimes disappointment comes in disguise as the twin of satisfaction.” He clicked his tongue. “Two sides of the same coin.”

Kagami raised an eyebrow at him as a silent demand for him to get to the point. 

Luka sighed. “I envy your freedom in the ability to speak your mind with no shackles. My communication is my music and sometimes a message doesn’t send.”

Kagami stared as dozens of thoughts formulated at the end of his words. It wasn’t what she was expecting. When speaking of things of envy and jealousy, it was always her proud family name or subpar fencing skills that were the target. Never had Kagami heard that her social incompetence was something to be envious of. And to describe it as freedom, Kagami has certainly never thought of it like that. Freedom meant something much different to her.

But this thing Luka had claimed to be as a thing of jealousy, Kagami didn't believe it.

“Jealousy is an ugly emotion with many different faces. Always changing, never still.” Kagami breathed. “I don’t think you’re jealous of me.”

Luka quirked an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you could read minds.” 

The edge of her lips twitched. “I can’t. But I do know you pity me. You can feel jealousy towards a thing you pity?” Kagami questioned. 

Kagami was never subjected to a large variety of experiences in her life. Events were often repeated and her schedule reflected each other every week. Any new person was a competitor in fencing and gone by the end of the day. The people she practiced with aside from Adiren could hardly keep up with her. But, as she learned with Adrien, Kagami did not know anything outside her bubble of experiences. But Kagami knew the face of pity very well. After all, it was the look Adrien gave most to her. 

“You’re wrong,” Luka spoke. He looked forward to the clutter of bodies to their front. Beams of colors dancing on the reflection of his eyes. His hands were stuffed in his jean jacket, body lean and tall. His face was strangely whimsical like he was seeing scenes of a fond memory. “I can’t pity something that’s like me.” 

Kagami followed his gaze. “You know nothing about me.” 

His eyebrows knitted. A strong contrast to the look he had seconds earlier. “Let’s dance then.” 

Kagami’s eyes widened. Dance? Now? “You can’t spring that out of nowhere,” Kagami sighed. 

A bright smile crossed his features. “Show me the rules where it says that. I say we dance when we want to dance!” 

Kagami laughed. It was absurd, his logic was nothing Kagami had ever heard before, but it incited a laugh that arises from her belly. 

She switched her gaze to the dance floor. 

Kagami didn’t know how to dance the way they did. She was familiar with graceful steps and soft alluring music—definitely not uncontrolled flaring of the limbs and hard punching tunes that shook the building. Kagami did not know how. 

Luka laid his guitar down against an empty chair. He then grabbed her wrist leading her towards the dance floor. He trudged forward. Kagamu followed Luka into the sea of people.

People greeted Luka with pats on the backs, beaming smiles, and quick compliments on his earlier playing of the guitar as they passed through them. Kagami was spared a few smiles but nobody gave her the second glance her way like they did Luka. Kagami was caught back. Luka had a pull towards him. 

“This song is one of my favorites!” He shouted over the booming music. Luka—in complete contrast to herself—closed his eyes and moved freely to the music as if he was the part of the instruments.

The bodies around them did not stop to stare, but continued to move their bodies and talk freely as though Kagami and Luka never joined. The flashing lights of red, purple, blue, yellow, coated them in its low fluorescence. Kagami couldn’t help but to gape stupidly at Luka. It was an odd phenomenon like watching a baby bird first take flight.

Luka, who seemed to snap himself back to reality peered down at Kagami’s unmoving body, his head tilted. “What’s wrong,” his mouth moved. 

She answered, "I can't dance like you.” 

“It’s easy. Just loosen yourself and feel the music.”

“How?” Kagami asked. Luka brought his hand to his neck. “There’s not a certain way, you just—dance?” 

Kagami did not respond back. Which seemed to cause Luka more distress as rubbed his neck faster. “How about I guide you? That should give you a good idea of how it's done.”

Kagami raised an eyebrow but did not protest. “Very well, guide me.”

Luka grabbed wrist hesitantly as if she was fine glass. She did not understand the point, Kagami did not break easily. So, as a way of reassurance Kagami stepped closer to him. This garnished a quick response as he stepped back.

“Not so close, uh, you’ll step on my toes,” Luka stuttered. 

Kagami nodded—not saying anything back. As the music blared, Luka took her right hand and shaped it into her pointer finger was the only finger out. He then moved it in and out of her crotch area to the beat of the song, her arm straightened out. “That’s one of my favorite moves, but it’s not really feeling the music,” he said in her ear. 

Luka twisted her around until both her hands were tucked in his and she was facing him. He moved their conjoined hands in several directions.

It was peculiar. Every movement did not match the beat. Every swing of the arm or the tap of the foot did not align perfectly with the instruments of the song. But it felt Kagami was immersed in this coursing river that would not stop gushing. She felt immense in its flow and unable to stop it. 

She felt...free. Luka let go of their hands. 

Kagami closed her eyes and allowed herself to dive into the beats of the song. To fade out the world around her and focus on only the song. She had never experienced something like this before. It was like when she was feeling rebellious and took a sip of her mother’s fine wine behind her back, unenjoyable at first but then the effects left her feeling like silk. Every twist of the limb or clasp of the hands was a sip after another. 

A chuckle could be heard. Kagami opened her eyes.

Luka laughed lightly behind his hand. “Yeah, that’s definitely feeling the music,” Luka noted. 

Kagami arms crossed her chest. “Did I fail?” 

Luka waved his hand dismissing the idea. “You didn’t,” he assured. A pause before he spoke again, “I didn't expect for you to be fantastic at feeling the music.” 

A smirk of challenge crept up Kagami’s face. “I happen to excel at everything I do,” she said.

“Do you?” Luka leaned in. The blasting music and swarm of bodies faded into the background. “Are you wagering a bet?” 

The tips of Kagami’s lips only seemed to rise higher. “If I am?”

Prehaps in a subconscious manner, their bodies seemed to gravitate towards each other. Maybe the music was too loud and they couldn’t hear each other too well or other people bumped against them forcing them closer. Whatever the reason, personal space was thrown out the window. Any closer and Kagami’s head would bump against Luka’s upper chest. 

“That’s quite a risky statement—I should tell you I take bets as seriously as playing my guitar,” Luka warned. 

“As do I,” Kagami confirmed. Any bets that were placed during fencing against 2 players, Kagami’s choice never lost. 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He held out his palm and bent his knees in an odd way. Kagami stared blankly before finally getting the message. It was a horrible curtsy.

He led her by the hand to the same corner of the room where she was originally at. Away from the flashing lights and deafening tunes. There were 3 plastic chairs against the wall, Kagami took the one on the far right and Luka sat in the middle. 1 chair between them.

He swept a hand through his hair. Looking back, Kagami noticed how easily conversation flowed between them. Kagami usually said the wrong things and were deciphered as peculiar or odd to others. She was too stern with her words. She only knew the correct exchange of sentences in high society was formal and in the playing mat where roughness of words was seen as an encouragement for the person receiving them. Adrien understood her, it was one of the many reasons why she was interested in him. But now somebody else was able to speak to her like she was a regular person.

“I saw you come in with Adrien,” Luka casually said. 

Kagami twisted the rings on her fingers. She tried to push Adrien to the farthest part of her mind.

“He did,” Kagami confirmed. “Then he left and didn’t return.” Her heart twisted as though a thousand needles poked at her chest. Kagami didn’t think being accidentally stabbed by her opponent sword hurt as much as this. It hurt more knowing Adrien left under the guise of a lie. Kagami would have preferred it much more if he said he wanted to leave and not left Kagami sitting alone at the far end table. 

Luka looked down at her. A frown etched his face. “Sounds like I have a similar story,” he muttered. 

Kagami smiled. “What would that be?” 

However, Kagami’s attention was soon ripped away from Luka as her eyes caught a gleam of blonde to the corner of her eye. 

His words blurred as the sound of blood gushed in her ears and the pounding on her heart amplified. She whipped her head to the doors she was at an hour ago, ready to leave. The smile that Luka had placed on her mouth was quickly washed away.

Adrien stood at the door, his clothes sullied and unraveled as Marinette stood at his side looking as bit as disgruntled as him. 

"Well," Luka spoke. “There’s where my date went.”


	2. The Bet

Kagami’s face hardened like it was made of stone. 

Her eyes bore into the figures that pressed against the door. They looked at one another, nervous smiles thrown. Their bodies were separated by a few measly inches—nothing proper for two individuals that weren’t together. 

The air felt icy, like the cool weather from the outside world had consumed the air conditioned space. A metallic taste filled her mouth as she bit the inside of her lip. 

Their clothes were dirtied and rumpled, hair unkempt and several strands sticking in the wrong directions. Adrien’s blonde hair was crusted brown with what looked like dried mud. She had wanted to reach out to him and see if he was hurt. But, fury had already crawled up her throat overshadowing any worry. 

Having enough of her own intense brooding, Kagami stood up. It was enough of an embarrassment to be abandoned by her date, but for him to show up later with a different girl in arm was not a shot to her ego but one to her honor. Kagami would be ready, sword in hand, before anybody tested her honor. 

“It’s a relief Marinette’s okay. I was starting to worry,” Luka voiced out. His face remained neutral to the sight in front of him. As if it didn't matter who Marinette had at her side.

Kagami gritted her teeth. They were truly different. 

“I am leaving. My patience has run thin,” she snarled. 

“Wait.” His hand wrapped around her wrist. “Listen to their explanation first.” 

Kagami yanked her arm back, eyes glaring at Luka. She wanted to swing her blade, to swing until her nails pressed hard against her palms and she bled. He didn’t understand what this feeling of anger was—this sheer anger that consumed her being. 

“You don’t understand,” Kagami sneered. 

“Just—just listen,” Luka pleaded. His sky blue eyes shined through his bangs. “Hear their explanation first. Don’t you want to know their string of secrets?” 

Kagami clenched her fist. “They keep their damn secrets, I will _not_ stand by and let my honor be spit on.” 

“Kagami!” A voice shouted. 

She twisted her body to see Adiren running up to her, Marinette in tow with her head hung low. 

A frown placed his lips and eyes bright with apology. 

“Kagami, pleas—”

Luka I am so—”

Marientte and Adiren turned their heads at each other, they had spoken at the same time. Both, almost as simultaneously as they spoke, flushed a red. 

Kagami held off a scoff. 

“Ah, sorry, you can go first.” Adiren rubbed his arm.

“No, no, you can go first!” Martnetitte squealed, looking away, her face continuing to flush red. 

Adiren sighed, looking at Kagami’s impartial face with soft green eyes. His eyebrows were almost shaped like a U, it was almost comical. 

“I am so sorry Kagami, something happened…” 

Kagami held up her hand, stopping Adrien from speaking. She swallowed her spit, hoping to wash away some of the negative emotions with it. Walking away was much more difficult when Adrien stood in front of her. Closing her eyes, Kagami decided she would be here for longer than she anticipated. So Kagami settled back into her seat, arms and legs crossed. 

Her head held up high as she spoke again, her tone hard, “save your words.” 

“You don’t want to hear what happened?” Adrien asked puzzlingly. 

“I do, but not from you. You have already hurt me enough.” Kagami turned her head. “I like to hear from Marinette.” 

Marriente twitched. Then, Kagami thought she had broken the pig-tailed girl, as she held her hair in her hands and spoke in words faster than Kagami could keep up with. 

“Me? But Adriens your date. I mean why would you want to hear from me. I didn’t do anything. What I mean is I didn’t do anything with Adrien. Not that I would want that…” 

Kagami held her hand up again. Marinette tightened her lips. 

“I have no interest in hearing Adrien's side of the story,” Kagami said. “He will be dealt with accordingly on the mat.” 

“Wait, Kagami, you’d rather _spar_ with me?” Adiren choked. 

Kagami tapped her finger impatiently against her knee. “That is the most appropriate course of action. If you accept my proposal I will accept your apology, and if I win the spar, you will take me to get ice cream.” 

Adiren sighed loudly, not bothering to hide his relief. He hung his head, mimicking Marinette’s own gesture from moments ago. 

“Yes, I accept.” 

Kagami’s eyes settled to the right of Adiren, on Marinette's horrified figure as she would rather be anywhere else than here. “I don’t know if Luka will be as forgiving as I, but I assume he will need an explanation.” 

“It would be pretty great to know why you left so suddenly,” Luka agreed. 

Marinette hands clasped together as she ran her thumbs over her skin in reassuring circles. Her lips down turned and eyes wide. 

“Now that’s settled.” Kagami gestured towards Marinette to begin. 

Marinette closed her eyes and moments later drew a deep breath as if she was rehearsing in her mind with what the best explanation to give. Kagami wondered if Luka had caught that, the blue haired boy was quick to observe. 

“Like I told you I had a call from my mom outside,” she began. Her eyes stayed on Luka’s. “I ran into trouble on the way—Akuma type of trouble.” 

Luka shifted in his seat. 

“Thankfully, Ladybug appeared. As you can see, I was roughed up pretty bad.” She glanced nervously to Adrien. “Adrien was stuck to a tree by this moss thing, it was gross. Lady bug saved him...and me! I’ll be forever grateful to her.”

“You saw all of it?” Kagami inquired. 

Marinette nodded quickly. “I did, um, the safe space Ladybug put me in gave a clear view of everything!” 

“If only I could be mad at you for being involuntarily attacked,” Luka teased. “I’m glad you're okay. Have you called your mom yet?” 

“Uh, I haven’t! Thanks for reminding me!” 

Marriente whispered another small sorry to Luka before rushing out of the room to give a call to her mother. 

“What do you think of that gossip? Pretty interesting if I do say so myself.” 

“Hardly,” Kagami scoffed. “This city has the unfortunate pattern of getting attacked every week. The hidden identities of Ladybug and Cat noir would be the only gossip people would find worthwhile.” 

Adrien shifted awkwardly. “Luka, could I speak to your sister? I have to apologize to her too. It’s her birthday after all.” 

“Yeah, no problem, she’s in the crowd...somewhere.” 

Adrien walked off, but not before giving a quick apologetic glance at Kagami. She almost reached out to him, but retracted her hand. Her heart still burned. 

“Do you believe them?” Kagami asked, pressing her back further into the chair. 

“There is no reason not to be.” 

“For all we know they had discussed what they would say behind our backs.” She thought back to Marinette, the calculating look she had. 

“Are you usually this suspicious of people?” 

Kagami grunted. “It is a fair question. Assuming the best of people are for the ignorant.” 

“If you really thought Adrien was doing such a thing behind your back, you wouldn’t have let him off so easily.” 

“I have decided to forgive him because I can not bear to be upset with him. It does not mean my suspicions are cleared,” she replied. 

“Kagami,” Luka drawled seriously. “You don’t have to worry about Adrien and Marinette. Not when he clearly likes you. I don’t take Adrien for that type of man.” 

“You know nothing,” Kagami stood up once more. This time with all the intention in the world to leave. 

But before she left, Kagami had words to exchange with Luka. 

The blue eyed boy had piqued her interest. A feat that many have failed to do. Kagami had never stopped observing him from the moment they met. After all, wasn't that her objective, to understand Adrien better? But sooner than she realized that goal had turned into selfish desire; Kagami no longer wanted to learn more about him because of Adrien. 

Kagami wanted to know more about Luka for herself. 

“I want to thank you,” Kagami expressed. 

Luka leaned forward, his elbows rested on his thighs. “You don’t have to.” 

Kagami stared solemnly at Luka. Anger no longer lined her tongue and pumped her veins. All stood was a defeated girl who stood preparing herself for a raging mother who waited for her at home. She was away from home far too long. 

“Let me convey my gratitude,” she huffed. It was already hard enough to come up with the right words. “That bet...I will draw it in now.” 

Luka smiled. “Oh? And what would the bet be?” 

She turned her back on the guitar playing boy. Her cheeks tinged a slight pink. She could feel his questioning gaze on her back. Kagami had never lost a bet. 

“I will figure out your string of secrets.” 

Kagami walked towards the exit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where the story picks up! 
> 
> I wanted to show comparison with two characters and how they would *help* each-other in a relationship. One is too stern, the other is too soft. Lots of material to mess around with. 
> 
> My commenters made me want to finish this chapter as fast as I could. Thank you for commenting, seriously. And for anybody reading, leave comments! I love reading what you guys think! 
> 
> Please leave Kudos and lots of comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Cliffhanger because I want my good hearted readers to come back, I am not sorry! How did I do? Bad? Good? I know the first part was boring, but I hope it picked up towards the end. First chapters suck, but it had to be done. This was Luka's sister party so that is why he's there! Kagami has seen him like 3 times and thought, I see this guy EVERYWHERE but I could care less what his name is. She's great, I love writing her. 
> 
> Fun fact I have tons of work just sitting in my google docs begging to posted, but I decided to go with lukagami first because this community is tad dry in the fanfiction department. Thought I would add my share. 
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos!


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